Increase Online Sales with Gift Vouchers, Dramatically!

Whatever you sell online, you can attract extra sales by offering your existing and new customers gift vouchers.

Twenty-five years ago vouchers brought a lot of business to my photographic studio, and now they bring orders every day to all my online stores.

Customers love discounts, but they only see them valuable if they're earned - it doesn't work giving them away for nothing.

Each time someone buys from you, award them a voucher towards their next sale. Make the voucher personal and limit it with an expiry date (shorter is better - so they don't forget). The voucher can be a set amount of money, a percentage off, or free shipping. You may also stipulate a minimum order.

How they work
You make up a discount code and enter it in the software, then print that code on the voucher. E-mail the code to your customer or enclose a physical voucher with the purchase (I do both). The customer then enters the code in your store's check to automatically claim the discount. PayPal also offer a similar scheme, log in to your account to read how it works.

How to create vouchers
To make paper vouchers, use your word processing program to create a thick border with bold type for the heading. Then duplicate tahis to fit your paper size, and print - I then photocopy and cut. If you can print them on card, so much the better as their value will be enhanced.

For online vouches you need a special program in your store's checkout. These can be purchased online for many stores for about US$30, search Google with the make of your store. Some stores have the software built in.

Change the code often
Keep the discount code fresh by regularly changing it. Otherwise its value will diminish in your customer's eyes.